"As the nation prepares for the debut of Sparkle on August 17th, it is a bittersweet moment. Losing Ms. Whitney Houston is such a loss. She is missed even more this week because had she lived, she would've been 49 and preparing with us for the premiere. I know that she would be touched to know how deeply she is loved. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. Whitney, we will always love you!" of “Sparkle”